America’s Best Racing and handicapper (and avid gambler) Monique Vág team up to provide horseplayers with their best bets of the weekend in a regular feature blog that will run on Fridays.

For some posts, Vág will try to identify a longshot play of the weekend, a nice opportunity to swing for the fences on a win bet or to take a shot with a show bet. She also will look for strong exacta plays for the weekend or occasionally try to spot a nice opportunity for other wagers.

This Weekend’s Bets

Saturday, Dec. 23

Longshot Play

Gulfstream Park, Race 2, 12:35 p.m. ET

#1 Brucarita: The 8-1 morning line odds are very generous on a gelding who loves the turf and racing distances a little bit longer than a mile. He’s been very inconsistent and doesn’t always put forth the best effort, but with his best he could make fairly light work of this field. Speed-wise, he’s great, and I do think drawing the rail is advantageous for a gelding that doesn’t always seem to get away with the cleanest of breaks.

Exacta Box

Aqueduct, Race 6, 2:47 p.m. ET

#2 Equal the Score: I like to see how much this colt was bet in his career racing debut and obviously others liked what they saw as he was claimed after only start. He didn’t race poorly at all but just didn’t have it when angled three-wide in the stretch. He’s been training well since that effort and I think having a start under his belt is advantageous.

#6 Flash Drive: He’s been super close to winning and it’s nice to see the progression from his first career start to his fourth and fifth efforts which were narrow misses at this exact distance. As I mentioned earlier, racing experience is exceptionally valuable with maidens and I think this colt looks to be overdue.

#11 Connolly’s Beads: He’s very well-bred and I would hope so as he wasn’t a cheap purchase, bringing $235,000. He’s been putting forth steady workouts from April ranging in distance. The outside post is tricky as it’s key to have a relatively clean break, but I do think pending the break, this colt looms as a big threat.

Longshot Play

Aqueduct, Race 7, $100,000 Gravesend Stakes, 3:17 p.m. ET

#4 Chief Lion: Some of his times are FAST and it’s nice to see him coming off a win in his last. He does seem to be improving as a gelding as you can see seconds taken off his times from early in March to the two-month layoff he took and started racing again in May. He may be a one-way speed type horse that needs the lead, but I don’t see many others wanting the same scenario. He may have it exactly how he wants it: uncontested on the front end.

Best Bet

Aqueduct, Race 8, $125,000 Queens County Stakes, 3:47 p.m. ET

#1 Discreet Lover: He enters in great form after winning two of his last three starts including his most recent 108 rating effort against stakes company.  I anticipate him to use the rail post to his advantage and secure some early position up front just off the front runners. I like the closing kick we’ve seen out of him recently and I’m hoping he brings forth that type of effort today.